Slayers: Balance
by chiiechan
Summary: Chapters 5 and 6 are up~ Filia sees Xelloss in a vision. What does that woman want with Xelloss? How does one protect a mazoku from her? I'd greatly appreciate reviews.
1. Ambitions

c-chan: This is a really short prologue to prepare you for the rest of the fic. And, of course, I don't own the Slayers. I do, however, own this fic, this idea, and the two original characters. 

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Slayers: Balance 

Prologue: Ambitions

It was a sunny day with clear blue sky. All was quiet: not a sound, not a breeze. The birds refused to sing their merry songs, the insects kept their chirping to themselves, and not a single leaf on the trees rustled. Only the sun, blessed with ignorance, shone with extreme cheeriness upon the great land. 

After what seemed like an eternity, the silence was suddenly shattered when two beams of raw energy surged towards each other. They collided, sending the loud explosion reverberating across the space. 

Floating in the sky were two figures facing each other: one female, the other male. Silence settled once again as both adversaries watched each other warily. The tension seemed to become heavier every passing second, so heavy that it clung to their skin like wet clothes. 

Finally, the man said: "Reia, please, don't do this. It's not too late yet. If we continue fighting, we'll end up destroying all this. In the name of justice and love, think of what you're doing!" He swept his arm around indicating the land and the sky.

Reia scoffed, "It's already too late, 'Mr. Perfect'. The time has come for me to make my name known. I've lived as your shadow my entire life. This is it. No more. It's time for our world to know just who Reia is."

"Please, Reia. Listen to me…"

"Enough! Nothing you say will change my mind. Enjoy your reign while you can. The next time we meet shall be the time for your eternal rest. Until then, brother." She spitted out the last word with venom. 

With that, she shimmered and disappeared.

Then gradually, birds started to chirp and the breeze started to blow, as if relieved of the disappeared tension.


	2. Through the Looking Glass

  
c-chan: Up is chapter 1! I hope you enjoy it. I'm not a good writer and it's really hard for me to write like a grown-up. I made Filia and Xelloss a little bit OOC in this fic, because otherwise it was hard for me to develop the plot AND make it X/F. 

Don't own Slayers (in case you wondered).

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**Slayers: Balance**

**Chapter 1: Through the Looking Glass**

Outside, the sky was a beautiful scene to behold. Streaks of purple and pink laced the velvet sky as the golden rays of the sun skipped across the rooftops of the town to welcome the silvery rays of the moon. The occasional chirping of crickets accompanied by the silent hoots of owls brought about an atmosphere of perfect calm and peacefulness. Filia sat in front of her vanity brushing her long blond hair as she hummed a song she heard somewhere. A single candle sitting by her nightstand cast a soft warm glow to her room. Shadows cast by the candlelight flickered on the wall and on her face, seemingly dancing to the rhythm of Filia's song. 

Unexpectedly, a gust of cold wind stirred up in her room, sending the shadows flickering violently and forcing a shiver down Filia's spine. She frowned as an ominous feeling settled at the pit of her stomach. Suddenly, her eyes widen with shock as her reflection in the mirror smirked at her and disappeared, replaced by an image that was definitely not herself:

_Xelloss was chained to the wall, unconscious. Standing in front of him was an olive skinned woman with beautiful pearl white long hair. An aura of power pulsed rhythmically making her glow slightly in the darkness of the room. She traced a long, well-manicured finger along Xelloss' s jaw. He stirred slightly and woke up but didn't open his eyes. The mysterious woman lifted his face up to face her as she chuckled huskily. She brushed her lips gently against his. Then pulling his face towards her, she planted a passionate kiss on his lips. Suddenly, the woman withdrew and touched her lips, only to see blood on her fingers. She said something, to which Xelloss replied smirking. His reply must have angered her for she started to shoot tiny rays of energy towards him. Xelloss' face scrunched up in pain._

Filia stared in horror at her mirror, unable to tear her eyes away from the vision and unable to hear the dialogue between Xelloss and the woman. _Gosh, I can't even read their lips. _So absorbed in the vision, she failed to detect the figure that suddenly appeared out of thin air behind her.

_Xelloss ground his teeth in pain. She lifted his face up by the chin and said something. Xelloss burst out laughing and replied something mockingly. The aura surrounding her suddenly pulsed brighter and stronger. A strange dagger with runes carved on it appeared in her hand. With a swift movement, she plunged it deep into Xelloss' chest where his heart would be--were he a human. Xelloss smiled and opened his eyes to look straight into hers and said, "Now you'll never know, will you?" _

"Filia-chan? See something you like?" The figure behind her said. _What's she looking at?_

Filia gasped as Xelloss' last words reached her mind--clear and loud, as if someone just turned on the volume-- and dropped her brush to the floor as she saw Xelloss' life slip away in her vision. She stood up quickly and backed away from the mirror, sending her chair flying backwards to collide against something flesh and solid. "Filia-chan, always so violent. Is this any way to treat an old friend?" But Filia still didn't hear him. Her mind was a jumble of buzzing sounds as she tried to assimilate and understand the vision she was shown. She did not see the mirror start cracking down the middle. It suddenly burst into millions of sharp shards, each aimed straight towards her. Not expecting this, Filia was too slow to protect herself. Immediately, the figure behind her teleported in front of her and threw her down to the floor, covering her with his body.

After the commotion died down, Filia opened her eyes and stared into a pair of amethyst pools. 

"X..Xelloss!?" 

Xelloss got up and dusted the tiny shards off himself. "Why, Filia, you look like you've just seen a ghost. What's the matter with you? Did your reflection crack the mirror?" 

Filia tried to stand up, but her knees shook violently and she sank back down to the floor as her knees buckled and gave way. Xelloss bent down and picked her up. Filia was still dazed and stunned to protest as he gently placed her on her bed. "X..Xelloss?" She repeated again. "Yes, my dear Filia. It is I, Xelloss." Xelloss tried to identify the myriad of emotions emanating from the blond female, but got only horror and puzzlement. 

Slowly, Filia's eyes cleared up as the thought finally registered. "Xelloss! Namagomi! What are you doing here? In my room!?" Down went the hand, out came the mace, and flying went Xelloss to make a dent in the far wall of her room. "Itaii, Filia. Is this any way to treat someone who just saved you from horrible disfiguration?" "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be seeing that in the mirror and it wouldn't have shattered!" She said as she aimed for another swing with her mace. "Seeing what?" Xelloss opened one of his eyes as he rubbed his cheek where the mace had made contact. Filia stopped in midair. 

"You didn't see that?" 

"As I said, see what? Your reflection?" 

Confused, Filia shook her head and sat back down at the edge of her bed. _He didn't see any of that… Then, I must have just had a vision. But a vision of what? The future or the past? Who is that woman? What did they talk about? What will she 'never know'? Why am I shown this? _She shook her head harder this time to clear her head of confusing thoughts. Xelloss looked at her through closed eyes. 

"Xelloss, I'm tired. I would really like to go to bed. If you don't have anything better to do here, please go." _I'd better clean up this mess before I go to bed._ Filia stooped down and started picking up the shards of glass lying on the floor and glinting under the candlelight. She quickly dropped the first one she picked up and shoved her finger into her mouth as the sharp edge sliced deeply into her distracted thumb. Xelloss walked over to her and removed her thumb from her mouth. She looked up at him, frowning at his presence. 

"Didn't I just tell you to leave?" 

"Filia, this won't do. Here, let me dress that wound up for you."

"I can heal myself, Xelloss."

"Maybe, but not tonight, you won't. You don't look fit to do anything right now."

Filia just grunted. He was right; her mental energy was too drained. She heard his voice trail back into her room from the hallway. "Where do you put your medical box?" She sighed and replied, "Downstairs in the cupboard in the kitchen." "All right, I'll be right back with it. Don't try to pick up anything while I'm gone."

Filia sighed again and sat back down at the edge of her bed. _What does he want? Why is he being so nice?_ _Why am I…? _Her train of thought never ended as her mind finally accepted its weariness. Filia had fallen asleep.

When Xelloss came back, he found the slumbering dragon maiden slumped down on the floor, her back against the bed. He knelt down before her and dressed her wounds, careful not to wake her. Then he picked her up and tucked her in bed. _So strong and stubborn, yet so angelic and vulnerable. _He was about to phase out when he suddenly remembered the broken mirror scattered on the floor. _Let me clean this up for her. _After making sure he picked up every single offending shard, Xelloss looked at Filia once again. Silently, he noted how beautiful she looked with her golden hair spread out like a fan on the pillow to accentuate her soft, delicate features.  _So close…yet so far away. _He put a hand across his midsection where his stomach would be, puzzled by the flitting sensation that had settled down and refused to leave.

Xelloss phased out and left.

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c-chan: yes, I know… it's a little bit slow now. But don't worry; the best is yet to come! ^^


	3. Silence

c-chan: First of all, an apology: I don't talk much in real life, so the conversations in my fics might tend to be a little bit strange and, well, strange. 

Slayers are not items in my pocket, although I wish it so (I'd be so rich that I won't have to worry about graduating from this overly expensive university with a buttful of loan -- if you're not asian, you won't understand this last comment, so forget about it). Henceforth, I can't say they're mine.

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Slayers: Balance

Chapter 2: **Silence**

Xelloss phased into the Astral Plane. _And just what was I thinking? I was there to torment her, not to become worried about her. _Xelloss silently berated himself. _This is no good. _His hand still clutched at his stomach. A puzzled look crossed his face. _What's this feeling? Oh well, I'll deal with it later. _His master was calling for him.

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Reia stood at the top of the hill surveying the grandiose landscape that stretched out beyond the reach of her eyes. "Perfect", she purred. "This world is exactly what I need to build my powers." Suddenly, she cocked her head to one side as if sensing something. A small smile played across her lips as her eyes took on a feverish spark. Her smile broadened into a grin. "Yes… A meal. I'll do this the old-fashioned way… Slow, but I'll get more of that power that I need." She turned around and started to walk toward the target of her interest.

Some distance away in the clearing of a forest, a lesser mazoku was on a feeding frenzy. It was chasing down a group of children who, unfortunately, were playing near his territory. A slight chuckle behind him stopped him short. Diverting his attention from the traumatized children, the mazoku turned around to see Reia standing nonchalantly behind him. 

"Little human…" the mazoku rasped menacingly. Slime dripped from the cavity that was seemingly his excuse for a mouth. "My…my… you don't seem to be a very high level mazoku, do you? Can't even form an acceptable shape. No matter, you'll serve as an appetizer." Her grin was almost feral. 

Slowly, she drew her sword. The friction caused by the blade and the sheath let out an eerie and chilling rasp. She started to emit an aura of darkness. It was as if light around her was suddenly warped and absorbed into a well of utter and dense pitch-blackness. Her aura made its way down to her hands and up the sword she was holding until it reached the tip of the sharp blade. Then Reia started to take deliberate steps towards the mazoku. The mazoku froze in place, sensing the danger that was making its way to him as unhurriedly as possible. Something clicked in him and with a mighty roar, it charged towards Reia, hoping naively to catch her unaware. Luck was not on his side, apparently, as Reia chuckled and sidestepped, slashing him at the midsection while she was at it. 

It stood up straight, "Foolish human, pathetic attempt… swords don't affect me." 

"Oh really? Guess again." Reia snickered. The mazoku narrowed his eyes and looked down at his wound. They had not healed! In fact, the wound seemed to be getting larger and larger. He shrieked. Reia stood near looking through cold, indifferent eyes as the mazoku found himself being sucked inside out and finally disappearing with a slight POP. She closed her eyes, a small smile tugging at one side of her mouth. "Ah… the taste of power…always so sweet." The aura around her shifted as if assimilating this new power she had acquired from the mazoku. She opened her eyes to reveal glowing orbs of crimson red. _Time for some serious hunting._

She lifted her head and sent out a tracing thought. _Yes, another one east from here. A slightly more powerful one. This is going to prove to be entertaining as well. _

She shimmered and disappeared. Leaving the clearing behind, and no trace of the confrontation. 

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Meanwhile, Filia was plagued by dreams of her vision. Scenes after scenes flashed across her mind's eye, leaving her no time to slow down and think. No matter how hard she tried to fight it, the same scene kept playing itself again and again in her dreams. 

__

Xelloss looked up at her, a sad smile tugging at the side of his mouth. The rune dagger protruding from his chest. His eyes were open, yet unfocused. 'Filia…' 

In her dream, Filia tried to reach out and help him, but some unknown force kept her to moving an inch. _Xelloss!_ Filia screamed in frustration. _Why can't I move? His life is slowly draining away! I must do something!_

With a gasp, Filia sat up from her bed, drenched in cold sweat. Her eyes adjusted slowly to the darkness in her room. Only the silvery rays of the moon provided any kind of lighting. She looked around. _Where am I? Oh right, my room. Wasn't Xelloss here? I must have fallen asleep. _Her lips were parched. Deciding that she needed a glass of water. She got up and inched off the edge of her bed. She gingerly placed her feet on the floor. _Must be careful. Broken glass on floor. _Fumbling around her nightstand, she attempted to locate her candle. After several futile attempts, she finally found it. She lit her candle and lifted it up, letting its golden flame light up her room. There was not a hint of broken glass on the floor. _Oh… I thought I didn't clean this up. Hey, wait. I really didn't. Oh, maybe Xelloss did. _She frowned. _I need to find an explanation to this vision. What is it trying to tell me? And why am I the one who had it? _She went downstairs to get herself a drink.

Outside her window, the wind carried from a distant place, a shriek of agony followed by a melodious yet strangely menacing chuckle.

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Reia sighed contentedly after she absorbed the injured mazoku before her. Her appearance not in the slightest scuffled, despite the struggle this particular mazoku had presented. This had been the 5th mazoku whose power she had absorbed and it was getting better and better. Every mazoku she had encountered was always stronger than the previous one. _At this rate, I'll be stronger in no time._

Her thoughts drifted back to the last mazoku she had assimilated. _Shabranigdo, eh? The creature had called out this name when I slit its throat. Just who is this Shabranigdo character? _The corner of her lips lifted up as an expression of aloof arrogance marred her beautiful features. _I believe this calls for some research. _

Her senses picked up another mazoku roaming around. _I'll get my information from this one. _With that, she disappeared.

The moon hung high in the sky, coating everything with liquid silver. An ambience of calm settled down in the deep of the night, like the calm before the storm…

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c-chan: well.. there goes chapter 2. It's still a bit slow. But I don't operate well under 6 hrs of sleep. Yea, that's right. I need my NINE hours of sleep. Don't go away! Chapter 3 will soon be up~

Also, as you can see… the title of the chapter doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the chapter itself. It's just whatever word or expression pops into my head.


	4. What goes around

c-chan: hi hi! Finally got around writing chapter 3. I've tried to write longer chapters.. really~ But my short attention span won't allow it. Finally, some action!

Disclaimer: Slayers is not mine.

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Slayers: Balance

Chapter 3: What goes around…

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-A few days later-

"Juu-ou sama, you called?"

"Yes, Xelloss. I have received words that many of our kind are dropping off the face of this world without any apparent reason. At first, it wasn't a problem since they were all low-level mazokus. But recently, even higher-level ones are disappearing."

"Disappearing?" Xelloss cocked his eyebrow.

"Indeed. Not a trace of their existence inside or outside the Astral Plane."

"I see. Would you like me to investigate this issue?"

"Yes. Something's happening and I don't like to be kept in the dark. Also, this should keep your wandering mind in check." Zelas added with a snicker.

Xelloss sweatdropped. He had tried hard to conceal his distracted mind. 

"Xelloss, I created you. I know you inside out like the palm of my hand. You can fool others, but never your own creator. Go. Carry out my orders and I'll let you continue with your little blonde-haired side project."

"As you wish, master." He bowed and left.

Zelas chuckled, her bangles clinking melodiously. _Silly boy…Just what kind of beautiful mess are you getting yourself into…_

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"So… you're telling me that this Shabranigdo is the supreme Dark Lord of this world. And he was split into seven pieces by this other Ceiphied fellow." Reia glared at the mazoku who was held firmly in her grasp. The mazoku nodded miserably.

"And two pieces have been destroyed…that leaves five pieces." Once again, the mazoku nodded whimpering.

"So where do I find those five pieces?" Her grip on the mazoku tightened.

"Umm… I think Xelloss-sama knows." He stammered.

"Xelloss? And who is he?"

"He's one of the higher-ranking mazokus. Juu-ou sama's Priest and General."

"I see…so all I have to do is find him." 

"Please don't kill me! I've told you everything you wanted to know!"

"Indeed you have. Why, of course, that only means one thing." Reia's eyes sparkled cruelly. She brought up her free hand and placed it on the mazoku's face. Immediately, the mazoku started to thrash and scream in agony as she absorbed his life force. Moments later, any trace of the mazoku had disappeared. 

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**__**

-A few moments earlier-

Xelloss sat perched on a tree limb. _Hmm… how to approach this problem…From what I've gathered, they seem to have disappeared all of the sudden, as if they've never existed, not even a remaining trace of their life energy. I wonder what Filia's doing now? Hey, where did that thought come from? _Xelloss scratched his head. _Hmm…maybe someone's attacking these mazokus. If so, how do I lure them out? I hope Filia's feeling better. Hey, it is not the time for this. I must concentrate on the matter at hand. _Xelloss tapped the crimson jewel on his staff impatiently, trying to decide his next move.

A shriek of agony interrupted his train of thought. _I should check it out. Maybe it's another mazoku. It might lead me to some concrete clue._

Gathering his cloak and staff, he phased out to investigate the blood-curling scream.

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"Well… How do I find this Xelloss?" Reia stood pondering her plan. 

A cheery voice behind her caught her attention. "So desperate to meet me? And might you be my newest admirer?"

Reia spun around and came face to face with a handsome violet-haired man dressed in priestly robes. His shoulder length hair waved gently under the slight breeze. She looked at him suspiciously. Something about him just didn't sit right. She couldn't quite place it. Perhaps it was the smile, or perhaps it was because she couldn't look into his eyes. 

"The name's Reia. How long have you been standing behind me?"

"Oh… long enough." He replied cheekily.

Reia growled. "That means you know what I want from you."

"Correct. I happen to have overheard that piece of conversation. I have to thank you though. You made my job easier by taking care of that traitorous coward." 

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Curse him! Why won't he open his eyes? Reia's eyes narrowed. 

"Tell me where the remaining five pieces of Shabranigdo are and I'll go easy on you, pretty boy."

Xelloss' face twitched. _Pretty boy…_

"Sore wa himitsu desu." He wagged his finger at her. "Besides, my master won't be pleased if I told you."

"Oh? You want me to do this the hard way? I suppose I'll have to force it out of you." She unsheathed her sword and charged it up with her power. Her lips curved up with cruel delight. "I sure will enjoy wiping that smile off your face." She brought her blade down in an offensive stance.

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That is a lot of power she's radiating. A worthy opponent, perhaps stronger than Valgarv, but I've also grown stronger. This might prove to be a good fight. Xelloss gripped his staff in anticipation. 

Without a word, they both sprinted towards each other. Staff and sword clashed against each other with a resounding SMACK. The sky was suddenly filled with the two adversaries phasing in and out. Sometimes, Xelloss was in the offense; sometimes Reia was in the offense. It was a fair fight. 

Moments passed and the outcome was still unknown.

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She's strong and quick. I'll have to come up with a better plan. Xelloss' mind raced as numerous plans were formed. Many he discarded, until he reached a plan that was suitable. Once his mind was made up, Xelloss disappeared, leaving Reia alone on the battlefield. 

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Where did he go? Reia searched around. "Xelloss! You low-life! Don't you dare run away!"

"Who said I was fleeing?" Xelloss whispered into her ear as he brought his staff down to choke her. "Unfortunately, Reia, today just doesn't seem like a good day for you." 

"Really?" Her mocking voice sounded from his immediate left. 

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Wha…! Xelloss turned around in surprise to feel intense pain in his side where Reia slashed him. Confusion invaded his mind. _Who am I choking then?_

"A ruse, Xelloss. I'm not a warrior for nothing."

Xelloss fell to the ground clutching his side, his staff landing right next to him. He gasped in pain. 

"So… are you going to tell me where the five pieces are?"

He looked up and smiled. "Sore wa…himitsu desu!" Gathering his remaining strength, he disappeared into the Astral Plane. 

"Curse it!" Reia glared at the spot from which Xelloss had disappeared. "I'll need to capture him." A smile played at her lips. _And when I do… I'll be sure to have some fun first._

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Filia was tending her shop in midmorning when little Val run into her shop. "Mommy! Mommy! Uncle Namagomi is outside! He's sleeping on the street!"

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Uncle Namagomi? Xelloss! She dropped her work and grabbed Val's tiny hand. "Show me, sweetheart."

Quickly, they left the shop. A group of curious bystanders had already gathered in the middle of the street around him. "Excuse me, coming through. Out of my way." Filia nudged her way into the center, occasionally elbowing the stubborn ones who wouldn't budge. "Xelloss!" She knelt down beside him. 

__

L-sama, this looks awful. It looked like someone had carved out a huge piece of him. He was unconscious. 

"Quickly, Val. Get Gravos and Jillas, I'll need help to carry him back to our place." 

"Yes, mommy."

__

Who could have done this to him? He must have been hurt really badly; otherwise, he wouldn't have fainted out here.

"Oneesan!" Jillas' voice jerked her out of her trance. 

"Jillas! Gravos! Please help me carry him back. He needs to be tended right away!"

Together, they managed to carry Xelloss back to her home at the back of her shop and placed him on her bed.

"Oh no. I can't heal him like a normal human. He needs to wake up to regenerate himself." Filia panicked. She reached up and touched his forehead and yelped. _He's burning up! Is that even possible?_ "What do I do?" She ran to the kitchen and brought back a basin of cold water and a rag. Twisting the rag to drain it of excess water, she placed it on Xelloss forehead. 

Dusk settled and still Xelloss remained unconscious. At least his body was slowly regenerating itself while he was out cold. Filia was tired. She had not left his side ever since they brought him back. _It seems like his fever has gone down. That's a good sign. Now he just needs to wake up._ Filia brushed a strand of purple hair out of Xelloss face. _What is going on? First the vision, now this. Is something happening that I don't know of? Maybe I should talk to Lina-tachi. _Soon she found herself slipping off into the world of slumber. 

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Xelloss woke up to complete darkness. The moon was covered by thick clouds. _What's this weight on my chest? _He gingerly brought his fingers up to his side. Good, it had almost healed. His fingers brushed against something soft and warm. _Huh?_ _What are those emotions I'm sensing? So familiar…could it be Filia? _Casting a light spell, he looked around. "Yare, yare. It seems like I'm in Filia's room." He looked down and saw Filia sitting next to the bed. Her head was resting on the edge while one hand rested on his chest. The basin with water and the rag explained what had happened. _She must have found me and brought me back. _The light spell he cast was slowly dissipating. He sighed gently and caressed Filia's soft locks. _A few more moments…_ Concentrating slightly, he started the process of regenerating himself.

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The sound of birds chirping and children playing pulled Filia out of her slumber. She brought her hand up to wipe her eyes. She stopped midair when she realized that she was lying in her bed. That only meant one thing…Filia panicked. _No…Please no… _She turned around and was greeted by an empty side of the bed and a note on the pillow. Sighing with relief, she picked it up and read it:

__

Lizard lips,

Thanks for taking care of me. I suppose a selfish little dragon like you can be nice… if rarely. I'll be back soon! Don't distract yourself too much thinking about me.

Your favorite mazoku,

Xelloss

P.S. You snore really loudly.

The children outside playing ran home whimpering. Parents shut their windows and doors as a loud scream reverberated across town. "NAMAGOMI!"

__

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c-chan: ^^ Again, title has nothing to do with chapter. Thanks for reading this. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did when I wrote it. Worry not, Lina-tachi will appear next chapter! Thanks for reading this!


	5. Oi

c-chan: So I finally got around writing chapter 4. Thanks to all those great people who submitted reviews! This chapter is just a filler to bring in Lina-tachi. I've already started on chapter 5, which is when everything is going to become clear to our heroes or at least to some...

Oh~! I'm not sure if I said this or not, but this is supposed to be TRAD coupling. 

Disclaimer: Oh well… I don't own anything except the clothes on my back.

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Slayers: Balance

Chapter 4: Oi…

It was early morning; the town was not yet awake. A solitary inn stood at the edge of the town. A rather peaceful silence settled on it like silky satin, evoking a sense of calmness. Only the occasional clinking of metal against metal was heard.

"Gourry! That's my sausage!" A piercing yell was suddenly heard emanating from the inn.

"That's not true! You stole it from me!" An equally loud male voice countered.

Inside the inn, the self-proclaimed beautiful sorceress genius Lina Inverse was engaged in a rather fearsome battle with her loyal companion, Gourry Gabriev, while the faithful knight of Justice Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun and the reluctant chimera Zelgadiss Greywords sat nearby. Amelia watched on with concerned interest, whereas Zelgadiss sipped at his coffee nonchalantly. Knives and forks moved at the speed of light as Lina and Gourry fought to claim possession of the last sausage. 

"Is that any way to treat a lady? You Jellyfish!"

"What lady? I only see a flat-chested imp!" 

Right on cue, Zelgadiss' eyes opened wide as he grabbed Amelia by the arm and scurried out of Lina's line of fire. A crimson aura of ire sprung out around Lina as her eyes turned blood red with rage. '_Fireball!_' had never sounded so sweet to Lina as she proceeded to fry her friend. 

"That'll teach you from saying things like that", Lina snarled at her blackened protector. 

"Lina-san, Gourry-san, would you guys stop it already?" Amelia said from under Zelgadiss. "Ano… Zelgadiss-san? You're a little bit on the heavy side." 

"Oh sorry", Zelgadiss muttered as he stood up and helped the little princess up on her feet, all the while turning a red that rivaled Lina's eyes. 

"My my, aren't we cheerful this morning?" A smooth, silky voice sounded from behind them. Zelgadiss twitched. 

"Xelloss! What are you doing here?" Lina scowled at him.

Paying no heed to Lina's question, Xelloss reappeared behind Zelgadiss and Amelia. "Zelgadiss, how sweet. You're holding hands with the princess." Amelia and Zelgadiss looked down and stared. Indeed, Zelgadiss had managed to capture her hand in his own. A long second passed, then suddenly with the intensity of an electric jolt, they released their hands. Amelia flushed furiously. _It had felt so natural, I didn't even notice. _Zelgadiss blushed up a storm. _I didn't even know I was holding her hand. _Embarrassment gave way to annoyance, which in turn led to violent actions as Zelgadiss suddenly turned around and brought his fist to connect with Xelloss' head.

"Itaii… Zelgadiss-san, I didn't know you were into kinky things." 

"Why… you…" Steam shot out of Zelgadiss' ears as Xelloss' words registered in his mind. He growled and took a step closer.

"Xelloss, that's enough. I doubt you came here just to tease Zel." Lina stepped in between them.

"Oh, but it's so fun!" A blur of movement and Xelloss found himself tangled in the fiercest headlock Lina could administer. "Lina!" He wheezed. "You're choking me!" 

"Yea right. I'm doing this so you can't run away. We all know you don't need to breathe. Now tell me, what do you want?"

"What makes you think I want anything from you?"

Lina's fangs sprung out as she yelled into Xelloss' ear. "Because you never show up unless there's trouble brewing! That's why!"

"All right, all right. Let me go and I'll tell you." 

Lina released him, shoving his face hard into the ground for good measure. 

"Now speak." She glared at him.

By then, Amelia, Zelgadiss, and (surprisingly) Gourry had recovered from their respective states of embarrassment, anger, and shock and had gathered around to listen.

"Lina, I need your help." Xelloss put on his most sincere mask. "Someone's after me and I need your combined powers to protect me."

Three pairs of eyes stared at him incredulously. "Wow, if you need protection, then that person must be really strong", Gourry suddenly piped up. His three companions sweatdropped as Xelloss twitched. 

Lina shook her head, "Why should we help you? What's in it for us?" 

The trickster priest tilted his head and said, "How about your lives?" 

Both Lina and Zelgadiss growled, "What did you say? Are you threatening us?" 

"Oh my… I'm afraid that didn't come out right. Let me explain myself."

"You'd better…really soon." Lina cracked her knuckles while Zelgadiss tested the sharpness of his blade.

"Well…" Xelloss gave a dry chuckle. "An outworlder has landed in our world and she seeks to resurrect Shabranigdo."

"What does that have to do with you?" Amelia asked.

"Well, it seems like I'm the only one who knows where the remaining five pieces of Lord Shabranigdo are located."

"You?!" Lina, Amelia, and Zelgadiss screamed. 

"Lina!" Gourry turned around and placed his hand on her shoulder with a panicked look. 

"Yes, Gourry. Shabra…" Lina started to answer only to be interrupted by Gourry's next remark. 

"What's Shabrabingo?" 

"How can you forget AGAIN? He almost killed you!" 

"Oh… the big red ugly guy?"

"Yes…" Lina sighed. _Why do I even bother?_

Xelloss cleared his throat. "Anyway, back to me… " 

"Why would an outworlder want to resurrect a dark lord from our world?" Zelgadiss asked suspiciously. 

"I'm not quite sure about her real intentions, but from what I've gathered so far, she seems to absorb mazoku's life energy to make herself stronger. Perhaps she wishes to resurrect the dark lord in order to absorb his powers. 

"Are you sure about that?" Lina queried.

"My guess is as good as yours. I don't know, Lina." 

"Also, why haven't you mazokus tried to resurrect him if you know where the remaining five pieces are?" Lina said. 

"Well…Knowing where it is doesn't mean that we can. Besides, my master has other plans."

"What plans?"

"Yare yare… I am not allowed to tell you."

"Figures…" Zelgadiss scoffed.

"So what should we do?" 

"You'll help me? I knew I could count on you!"

"She's agreeing because no matter what we decide, you'd just go ahead, ignore our decisions and tag along anyway, you fruitcake…" Zelgadiss mumbled.

"Aww, Zelgadiss-kun, you know me so well." Xelloss phased in front of Zelgadiss and planted a big wet kiss on his lips. 

"Xelloss-san! What are you doing?!" Amelia gasped. 

"Sore wa himitsu desu!" With that, the purple-haired trickster disappeared.

Several seconds passed as everyone stared at Zelgadiss, who had remained motionless after Xelloss phased out. 

"Zelgadiss-san?" Amelia waved her hand before his eyes. The glaze-over look slowly faded as the chimera came back to his senses. He stared at Amelia's face and blinked, then promptly fainted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

c-chan: There.. my attempt to be funny…


	6. Urien

c-chan: Well, it's been some time since I updated…  It took forever for my friends to beta read this chapter… *glares at her friends*  But it's finally done! Hurray! Now, I must warn you, my beloved readers, I'm not good at describing people. ^^ So if Urien's description is dumb, it's because of my lack of talent and skills. *sigh*  Thanks for all you nice people who submitted reviews!

The only things I own from Slayers is four books and that's it. 

Without further ado, I present you:

**Slayers: Balance**

**Chapter 5: Urien**

Sun rays poured into Filia's room, bringing in the cheer of the morning. Filia closed her eyes tighter in an attempt to shut out the offending intrusion. Futile. The brightness of the sun refused to budge an inch. With a heavy sigh, Filia opened her eyes and sat up. She was tired. Her sleep for the past few days had been restless. Images of her visions and of Xelloss hurt and unconscious on the streets invaded and plagued her dreams every night.

_Oh well, time to get up. There's a time for worries and a time for business. And right now, it's time to sell my beautiful pottery, marvelous weapons, and delicious tea. The door to her room opened as a head popped in._

"Mommy? Are you awake?"

"Yes, Val, I am. Did you sleep well last night?"

Little green-haired Val walked up to Filia's bed, towing behind him an old, battered teddy bear. It had been Filia's childhood toy; she had given Val many others, but for some unfathomable reason, he particularly loved this one and refused to go anywhere without it.

Filia picked him up and set him on her lap when he reached the side of her bed.

"I dreamt that I was eating candy, cake, and cookies. Can we have breakfast? My tummy is empty."

"Sure thing, sweetheart. Come on. Let's go downstairs and I'll fix you your favorite breakfast."

With a gentle smile, she picked him up and went downstairs to the kitchen.

Once they were in the kitchen, Filia went about fixing breakfast while Val played with his toys. After breakfast was dutifully consumed, she left him playing with Jillas and Gravos, who babysat the ancient dragon while Filia tended to her shop duties.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Maybe I should try and contact Lina. I haven't seen Xelloss since that day Val found him. I wonder if he's all right. No, wait! I don't care! I took care of him and he made fun of me! The world is most certainly better off without that piece of filth. Yet…why does my heart beat with anxiety? Why can I not forget the visions that torment me nightly? What if my fears have become reality? Filia brooded as she absently polished her vases and dusted off her weapons._

Her train of thought was rudely interrupted when the clear, cheerful tinkling of bells announced the arrival of her first customer. She straightened up and forced a smile onto her face. 

"Good morning! How may I help you today?" She greeted the visitor as he stood at the doorway. Golden sunrays reflected off his pearly long hair casting a halo around him. Filia stared, entranced, all thoughts on a certain mazoku promptly thrown out the window. She had never seen such a handsome man, nor has she felt this calm before. Slanted eyes with aquamarine orbs framed by a pair of strong angular eyebrows adorned the upper half of his perfectly shaped face. [Pointing at her description of a handsome man, c-chan rolls over and dies from embarrassment and laughing too much]. His hair fanned out behind him despite the lack of breeze, giving him the appearance of possessing soft wings.

_An angel? Filia thought. Her reverie was suddenly broken as her lungs felt like exploding. The dragon hadn't realized that she had been holding her breath, afraid to disturb this picture of serenity that the heavens were kind enough to send her way. That, and the fact that the man cleared his throat._

"Miss?" His soft, deep voice brought her back to the reality of her little shop.

"I'm sorry! I hadn't realized I was staring, how inappropriate of me. Please accept my apologies." Filia bowed.

"Oh, it's all right. It happens to everyone who sees me. I do no know why though. Perhaps I have something on my face?"

Filia's mind did a double take. _Anyway… "My name is Filia. How may I help you today, sir?"_

"Filia? As in Filia Ul Copt?"

"Yes. May I ask how you know of my name?" She asked as politely as possible without sounding suspicious. _No one here knows my full name…_

"I'm Urien. I have been looking for you."

"Ok, Urien. You still haven't told me how you know my name."

"Filia-san, I'm not from your world. When I arrived, I had fortunately landed in Dragon Valley, inhabited by your kind, followers of the Dragon Gods. I asked around and they told me about you, Filia Ul Copt, priestess of the Fire Dragon King."

"Ex-priestess…of the Fire Dragon King", Filia corrected him, her voice betraying her sadness at the sins committed by her race.

"Forgive me, Filia-san. Ex-priestess of not, I need your help."

Filia pulled out her tea set and motioned Urien to join her. "Help, you say?"

"Yes. As I mentioned earlier, I am from another world, but I'm not the only one in your world. My sister is here as well. I am not yet sure what her true intentions of coming here are but I know they must not be good. I must stop her! As a knight of Justice and Love, I cannot allow my beloved sister to bring harm to this world!" He exclaimed, raising his cup and spilling tea in the process.

Filia sweatdropped as Urien's sudden outburst oddly reminded her of a certain Seyruun princess. Noticing her expression, Urien caught himself and blushed.

"Ahem…As I was saying…My sister and I were born together. Yet fate has the cruel hand, since we were born to be the complete opposite of each other. Peace and harmony strengthen me while darkness and violence give her life. Because our world strongly supports justice and love, I was chosen as its ruler, but Reia was unhappy with that outcome. As we grew older, she withdrew herself from me and we gradually grew apart. I tried to talk to her and understand her, but she kept pushing me away. Then a few years ago, she declared war against me. She said that she was tired of living under my shadow and by taking over our world she can prove herself. I tried to reason with her but she wouldn't listen. Our battles are devastating our world. I must find her and stop her. I'm willing to give up my power and let her rule if it means the survival of our world."

"How do you know she's here?" Filia asked.

"Well, you see. Reia and I are linked. We always knew each other's thoughts and whereabouts."

"Wait! Doesn't that mean you can tell what she's thinking now? Why do you say you don't know what her intentions are?"

"Yes, we are linked. But she has shut off her mind from me several years ago. The only reason why I know she's here is because of the residual connection between us. It's very faint and is just enough to tell me her general position, if not her exact location." Urien took a sip of his tea.

"I see…" was all Filia could manage to say. "So why do you need my help?"

"As an ex-priestess, you are more sensitive to the pathway connecting your world to another. A slight wrinkle in the energy surrounding the connection may cause an avalanche of effects on you. These effects may surface as visions, dreams, or simply a very strong inadequate feeling. If I want to gain any insight in Reia's plan of actions, I can only hope that you have had at least a vision for the past few weeks." He hesitated, hope and apprehension mirrored on his face. "You have, haven't you?"

"Visions…" Filia's voice trailed off as her mind returned to the cause of her anxiety. _I don't know if I want to tell him, I'd only relive those feelings. But if I don't get it out of my system, I might just go insane. She took a deep breath and said, "Yes, I've had them…" Slowly, she started her story. The floodgates opened as words clumsily stumbled from her lips with minds of their own to convey her hidden worries and fears._

By the time she ended her tale, it was mid-afternoon and Filia was shaking, overwhelmed by the tidal wave of emotions that threatened to wash her away. She gripped her teacup with such force that her knuckles turned dead white while she struggled to keep her teeth from chattering. Urien remained silent; this was a situation she had to sort out on her own, there was nothing he could say that would help her.

After what seemed like an eternity, the golden dragon finally succeeded in calming herself and stopped her trembling. Looking into the outworlder's eyes, she said in a steady voice, "That is all I have to say."

"This Xelloss in your vision, you said he's a mazoku?"

"Yes, the namagomi is the worst of them all, he never ceases to tease and taunt me."

Urien creased his eyebrows as several ideas crossed his mind. After choosing the most probable one, he said, "if my guesses are correct, Xelloss is in great danger, as well as your world. Reia is able to increase her power by absorbing the life force of a mazoku. In your vision, you said that Xelloss was captured. That means that he must know of something that Reia wants to get her hands on. Otherwise, he would not have survived. But what?" _She calls him namagomi, yet her face gives away her worries for him…What is the relationship between them? "How do we find your friend?"_

"I don't know. He always comes uninvited. Last time I saw him; he was unconscious and badly hurt. I brought him back and took care of him," Filia said as her blood started to boil with anger and indignation. "Yet, he still had the audacity to make fun of me!" She slammed her teacup down with such force that it cracked.

"Filia-chan, what has the poor teacup done to deserve your violent treatments?" A voice behind her spoke.

"Speaking of the devil," the irritated dragon said through clenched teeth as her mace mysteriously appeared in her hand. "Where have you been, namagomi?! Running off like that! Do you realize how worried I was?" She yelled as she swung her mace around to smash him, only to find empty space behind her.

"Come on now, Filia. You shouldn't swing mace-same around like that. What if you accidentally injure your friend over there? Or even worse, what if you injure you favorite mazoku? I suppose a violent dragon maiden like you cannot restrain herself," Xelloss taunted her.

"Why… you… ungrateful piece of filth!" Filia hollered. All hell broke loose as she chased the fruitcake around her shop, leveling everything in her way except her intended target.

Urien sat peacefully watching the angry dragon and the trickster priest, dodging (calmly, mind you…) the occasional mace that came too close to his head. _How intriguing…_

Finally, the battle slowed down as Filia stood panting exhaustedly from her futile efforts to hit a certain fruitcake.

"Filia-chan, won't you introduce me to your friend here?" Xelloss said cheerfully, not a hair out of place.

_Oh no! I completely forgot! The maiden whirled around, half expecting an unconscious Urien. What greeted her, however, was far beyond her imagination: Urien sat in the middle of her now destroyed shop, miraculously unscathed._

Sighing with relief, she said "Urien-san, this is namagomi Xelloss. Namagomi, this is Urien-san."

Xelloss took one good look at Urien and immediately disliked him. _What is he doing talking to Filia? My F- He caught himself just in time before the thought ever completed itself._

"Xelloss-san, nice to meet you." Urien said with a knowing smile as Xelloss walked up to him.

"Likewise," the priest forced himself to say. Violet met aquamarine. Xelloss said in his coldest and most serious voice, "I warn you. Stay away from her. Stay away from Filia or you'll end up hurt." Behind him, Filia gasped. Gone as quickly as it appeared, Xelloss' menacing expression changed into his legendary cheerful, closed-eye grin and he quipped, "Not only is she short-tempered, she also packs a good punch!" How right he was when Filia's fist broke the sound barrier as it connected squarely against the side of Xelloss' head, to sent him flying into an unconscious crumpled heap.

"Filia-san, I presume this is 'the' Xelloss in your visions?" Urien asked politely.

"Visions, Filia?" The supposedly unconscious fruitcake suddenly sat up with eyes wide open. "We need to talk."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

c-chan: No ending notes… Oh wait, this is an ending note… *sweatdrops*


	7. Gathering

**c-chan**: I should really get off my behind and draw some illustrations for this fic… The problem is I can't decide whether there are any scenes good enough for illustrating… if someone would suggest something, I might do it. *hint hint*

It took me several days to come up with a non-choppy way to let Filia and Lina's company meet up. This is probably the last non-adventure part of the fic. I didn't want to jump right to the action part so I wrote this chapter to gradually introduce the other parts. I must apologize if the characters appear to be OOC, it's so hard to make them IC, especially Xelloss. I tried, really! 

Thank you for reading! *bows*

Disclaimer: Another brain racking disclaimer. I don't own Slayers at all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~****

Slayers: Balance 

**Chapter 6: Gathering**

Outside of Filia's cozy little cottage, the world was a magnificent scene to behold. Ribbons of majestic violet and gentle rose danced through the sky celebrating the arrival of the pale moon. Such beauty, however, was lost in Filia's eyes as she stared out the window absorbed in her thoughts; that Urien was sitting in a chair behind her was unnoticed. She had sent little Val home with Jillas and Gravos for the night. It had been a day full of surprises and revelations.

_Where is he? He's been gone for several hours. Why has he not returned? At the very least, he could come back to let us know that he's located Lina…_ She frowned.

"You're worried." Urien stated as-the-matter-of-factly.

"No, I'm not. Why should I worry about the namagomi?"

Silver mane shook as Urien chuckled, "I hadn't said who or what you were worried about, Filia-san. Why do you deny your true emotions? Is life not easier if you don't hide from yourself? For all your fighting and bickering, you don't seem to hate him as much as you say. In fact, you don't seem to hate him at all."

"And how would you know?" Filia's heart skipped a beat.

"I can sense emotions and feelings, much like a mazoku would. You feel apprehensive and nervous around Xelloss-san, but most definitely not hate."

Filia sighed as she turned around to face him. "Xelloss is a very powerful mazoku. He's known as Beastmaster Xelloss, general and priest to one of the five mazoku lords, Greater Beastmaster Zelas. A long time ago, in the Kouma War, he single-handedly killed thousands of my kind. I once hated him with passion, but now…" She bit her lips. "I don't know how or what to feel… How can I hate him for killing my kind in a war when my own race, under false pretenses, committed the abominable sin of genocide against another race of our own?"

Urien just smiled warmly and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's all right. In time, you'll be able to sort out your feelings."

"Thank you." Silence settled once more as they both stared out the window, each deep in their own thoughts.

"Oh Filia!" Lina's voice broke the silence.

"Lina! You're here!" The dragon maiden exclaimed; relief washed over as she saw Xelloss floating behind Lina and her friends with a cheery smile. "Come in! You must be tired."

"Sure! You got something to eat for me? I'm starving!" The fiery sorceress said as everyone said their hellos and introductions were made. _Oh dear… she'll definitely clean out my entire pantry._ Filia sighed inwardly. "Yes, I'll go see to your dinners…" She twitched.

A wave of cheers responded to her statement as everyone, save Xelloss, made themselves comfortable in her living room. _Oh my… I hope I have enough food to satisfy Lina and Gourry's appetite. But still, it's nice to see my friends again  after such a long time._ Filia thought absently as she diced vegetables to cook in a stew. Happily, she started to hum, easily picking up the song she had been humming that terrible night.

"My, my, Filia. You're awfully happy. I might just get sick." An overly-cheerful Xelloss suddenly appeared next to her. Filia jumped, her knife flying across the kitchen.

"Xelloss! This is not the time to be teasing me, especially when I have a knife in my hand." With a wicked smile, she added, "You never know where it might land. Now, go fetch it, wash it, and hand it back to me." Surprisingly, the fruitcake complied. 

"What do you want? If you're just here to bother me, then make yourself useful and help me around."

"You know, Filia, not many people dare to order me around, especially dragons." Xelloss declared rather miffed.

Rolling her eyes, Filia said, "Honestly, I could use some help here. Since no one offered and you're the only one around." _And I must be crazy to ask you to stay around._

"I can help!" Urien's voice piped up from behind them. "If it's ok with you, that is." He smiled shyly.

An invisible vein popped up on Xelloss' forehead. _What? I'm not letting **you** show me up._ "It's quite all right. You should stay out there and tell Lina about our situation. I haven't told them seeing how it would be best if they heard it from you." _And get you out of my sight fast before I disfigure your pretty face…_ His voice dripping with sugar.

"All right. If you say so, Xelloss-san."

Xelloss let out a sigh of relief after Urien left.

"What was that about?" Filia asked.

"Oh nothing…" The priest smiled secretly. He peered into a jar, accidentally rubbing his nose on the edge of the container. Looking up, he asked confusedly, "What is this?"

"That is,…" Filia's eyes widened with surprise and amusement. "Hahaha! Flour, you make bread and cake with it. Hahaha!"

"What is so funny?!" Xelloss demanded irritably.

"You have *hic* some *hic* flour on your *hic* nose." 

Spotting a basin of water, he bent over to examine his reflection. _Well, if this amuses her so much, I wonder how funny it would be if I got some on her!_ He grabbed a handful of the flour and threw it at her general direction.

Thus, the Great War of the Flour started.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So, Urien-san, you're saying that since you're not in your world, your powers are weaker? What would your sister want to do with Xelloss-san?" Amelia asked from Zelgadiss' side.

"I don't know. All I can infer from Filia-san's visions is that Xelloss-san knows of something Reia wants. Otherwise, she would have absorbed him right away."

"Something Reia wants…" Lina's voice trailed off as Zelgadiss and Amelia pondered and Gourry, well, Gourry just sat there.

"Shabranigdo!" All three suddenly shouted.

"So Xelloss might be right! She wants to resurrect Shabranigdo to absorb him! We can't let her do that. What if she can't absorb him? Our world would surely be destroyed since I can't cast the Giga Slave again." Lina exclaimed.

"Oh no! What should we do?" Amelia asked.

"What else?! Make sure Xelloss doesn't get kidnapped."

"You're right! Urien-san! As warriors of justice, Lina-san, Gourry-san, Zelgadiss-san, and I will make sure that your sister's evil plan does not come to pass!" An extremely enthusiastic princess struck a pose and declared.

"Amelia-san, you're a true knight of justice! How can I ever thank you?" Urien exclaimed as he caught Amelia's hands in his, completely missing the slight hostile growl that emanated from a certain unhappy chimera.

"Eh… Urien-san. That's not necessa-" Amelia blushed.

"Namagomi!" A shriek pierced through the night.

Hurried footsteps approached Filia's kitchen ready for action, only to be greeted by two white figures locked in a struggle—more specifically, a flour covered dragon and a flour covered trickster.

A pair of crimson brows creased and the volcano erupted. "Xelloss! Filia! Stop it! Where is MY dinner?" The last question accentuated by a loud rumble from Lina's ever-empty stomach. Amelia whimpered. Zelgadisss rolled his eyes. Urien stared. Gourry nodded.

"Lina! I was just having some fun. Filia-chan is **so** violent!" The priest wheezed from under Filia's fierce headlock. _I was able, however, to enjoy from Fi-chan's soft breasts!_

"What?! You pervert! How dare you?" Filia screamed before she promptly fainted from extreme embarrassment and irritation.

"Ah…haha…" Xelloss laughed uncomfortably. "Did I just say that out loud?"

"Xelloss-san! How unjust! How can you do that to Filia-san…" 

"Stop, Amelia. This is no time for your speeches," Lina interrupted. "We have a much more important issue at hand."

"Right. We must protect the fruitcake." Zelgadiss growled grudgingly.

"No. We must feed the stomach of the beautiful sorceress supreme Lina Inverse! Now, let's go to an inn. Xelloss, bring Filia with us."

"Why me?" Xelloss whined.

"You're the only one strong enough to pick up a dragon, that's why! So shut up an do it NOW!" A rather scary Lina yelled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**c-chan**: Yay! Chapter 6 is done! Is it me or does Urien seem to have split personality? Haha… Well, some people are just unusual. 

A clarification: Urien is weaker in the Slayers world because it's not as pure or just as his homeworld. This is also the reason why Reia wasn't as strong in her homeworld.

The flying knife part was from personal experience…

I've been reading manga and watching anime a lot. The other day I watched NightWalker. It was ok, the story wasn't what I'd call great, but I thought the character design was really nice. Being the lech that I am, I thought Shido was really, really bishy. ^^ I'm most definitely officially hooked on Inuyasha hehe… 

Sometimes I wonder if people really do read the author's notes…


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